


Terror in Austria

by Always_Dreaming



Category: MotoGP RPF, Motorcycling RPF
Genre: Accidents, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mention of Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26009077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always_Dreaming/pseuds/Always_Dreaming
Summary: After what was nearly a double fatal accident at the Red Bull Ring this year, the Yamaha riders comfort each other after nearly losing a whole team.
Relationships: Yamaha riders with each other
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	Terror in Austria

**Author's Note:**

> We all saw what happened last Sunday. Thank god it wasn't worse.

Fabio took a deep breath and knocked on Maverick’s hotel room door, it had been hard to get past all the crew members who were still milling around that evening, unable to sleep after the day’s events. 

His teammate answered after a few seconds. “Hey,” he said. He looked pale and his eyes were big with a faraway expression. “Everything okay?”

“I’ve just come to see how you are,” replied Fabio. He wanted to go in and give Maverick a hug but he wasn't sure if he was intruding.

“Come in. I'm just watching the football, just trying to chill, you know.”

The French rider shuffled into the room and they sat on the sofa next to each other, watching the game. Maverick didn't say anything so Fabio kept sneaking a look at him out of the corner of one eye, just to check up on him. All they commented on was the players and the goals and how the play was going. In a typical manly way of avoiding any difficult emotions.

Then suddenly there was a big collision between two players who knocked heads when they both jumped up to head the ball. They both fell to the ground in bloodied heaps, and one was carried away on a stretcher.

All the other players were terribly upset and clutching at each other, some in tears. The commentators said, “well, he's unconscious but he's getting the best medical attention possible from our excellent medical team.”

Maverick suddenly clutched at Fabio’s arm. “That could have been me today,” he said, his voice quavering.

Fabio looked at him.

“I could have lost my head today, literally,” he continued in a low voice.

“But you didn't. You didn’t!” Fabio grabbed his hand. “You’re safe! We were all so worried but you're safe now.”

“I could have been killed though.” Maverick’s voice broke and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Fabio couldn't resist hugging him, so he pulled his teammate towards him in a big hug, while Maverick sobbed on his shoulder. “It's alright, it's alright,” he said, stroking his hair and his back, until he'd settled down and was just sobbing. “It's okay. Someone saved you today, I don't know who. They are saying it was Simoncelli. It is possible isn't it? Or any of the riders who are no longer here.”

Maverick didn't say anything for a long time. Fabio continued watching the football, still stroking his teammate's hair, then he heard a slight snore and realised that he had dozed off.

He probably needs to sleep, thought Fabio, so he carefully laid him down on the sofa, grabbing a blanket off the chair to put on top of him. He thought he’d leave him to sleep, then worried that his teammate might be frightened when he woke up alone, so he left a note in Maverick’s hand saying, _text me if you need me, Fabio._

***

The young Frenchman slipped out of Maverick’s room, shutting the door silently. Looking round the corridor, still with team members strolling around talking to their friends, he wondered where to go now. Then he heard a voice saying, “I love you too, Mama,” and a beep showing a phone call had ended.

He turned the corner and saw his actual teammate Franco. He thought of all the Yamaha riders as his teammates, but Franco was in Petronas and he’d spent the most time with him.

The two riders stared at each other for a few moments then Franco opened his arms and Fabio ran into them.

“Oh my God, today,” he whispered into the shoulder of the Italian rider. “What could have happened? I've just spoken to Maverick, I was trying to be strong but God, what if he’d been beheaded?”

“Don't say it,” said Franco. “It didn't happen. We're lucky, they escaped.”

“And so did you,” said Fabio.

“Oh it's nothing, I’ve just got a few injuries, a few bruises. Like you, I'm more worried about the others, but they made it. We're all still here.”

The two riders stayed hugging for a while.

“I think I'm gonna go and find Tom now,” said Fabio. “Thanks for reassuring me.”

“No problem.” The Italian patted his arm, then he crept away. 

***

Franco felt like he was at a loose end now—all the talk of Maverick had made him think of Vale. So he hurried off to his boss’ room, avoiding all the Yamaha staff members who wanted to talk to him, and knocked on the correct door. 

After a few moments, the tall Italian opened it. He looked wasted—tired and drawn, shadows under his eyes. “Hey Franco, how are you?”

“No. How are you?” asked the younger rider. “I just thank God today. What could have happened? I'm so glad you're safe.”

“Come inside.” Vale pulled him into the room and they sat down on the sofa. The television was on, it was a music show but not the loud variety, more like soothing percussion.

“I'm sorry to come here but I just wanted to make sure that you are okay with my own eyes. I couldn't bear to lose you,” Franco babbled. “If it wasn't for you I don't know where I'd be, you saved my life when my dad died and VR46 wouldn't be the same without you, we’d never—”

“It's alright, I'm still here,” interrupted Vale. “You’d never be chucked out of VR46 if I wasn't there anymore.”

“No! That's not what I mean. We just—we couldn't go on without you, I think Marco must have been looking after you and saving you and Maverick today.”

The older rider paused, looking away. When he turned back to Franco, his blue eyes were hazy. “Yes…I don’t want to go into it too much…just think positive. We're here, I'm here, Maverick’s here. Do you want something to drink?”

So they had a beer together on the sofa, and just chatted about stupid things—silly fan comments, memes, the weather, the TV show…

But they couldn’t avoid thinking about what happened today. “Talking of Maverick though, I just want to go and check on him, like you did with me,” said Vale. “I won't be a minute, you could stay here if you want?”

“Oh no, it's okay, I’ll just go back to my room, I don’t want to get in your way.”

“Are you sure? No, no, please stay, and you can be here when I get back, I won't be long.” He looked pleadingly at Franco, he never usually needed support but this time he did.

“No. Me neither,” said the younger rider, with a small smile.

***

Vale hurried out of his hotel room. The Yamaha technicians had mainly gone off to bed now, or to the bar, so it wasn’t so crowded in the corridors. He knocked on his younger teammate’s door and after a few moments, the Spaniard answered. His hair was on end and he looked pale.

“Oh sorry, I just woke up,” he mumbled. “Where's Fabio? He was here a minute ago and I woke up wrapped in a blanket on the sofa.”

“I expect he left you there, he probably just thought you could do with some sleep. But I wanted to check up on you. I just saw that video of you with the bike jumping over you, I just can't—” 

“Come in.” Maverick quickly pulled him through the door. “Listen, it's okay. We both had a close call today. Once you get some sleep you'll feel better. I don't know how long I slept for, not long, but I just feel a bit better. We've gotta think positive…” his voice trailed off as he saw tears on Vale’s cheeks so he handed him a tissue. “It's okay, we're all okay.” He hugged him.

They were still hugging on the sofa when there was another knock on the door.

“You are popular tonight,” said Vale, sitting up with a grin. “Me too.”

“Yeah, people are checking up on us.”

He went to the door and found Fabio standing there, shifting from foot to foot. They gazed into each other’s eyes and Vale realised he was definitely the third wheel here.

He shuffled to the door. “I’ll be going now then,” he said and hugged his younger teammates. They all stood for a while in a group with their arms around each other. The older rider slipped out of the door.

Fabio blurted, “Mav, I couldn’t find Tom and I don't really want to be alone tonight, can I stay here? I can't—I just—my thoughts are just going mad thinking what could have happened, and—”

“Okay.” Maverick stood back to let him in, and they walked together through the lounge heading towards the bed. They didn’t need to say anything, they just cuddled up in it, both giving a huge sigh of relief, especially Maverick. He could relax now.

***

Vale trudged back to his room happy that his teammate had somebody to look after him. When he opened the door, he'd forgotten Franco would still be in his room and hesitated.

“I'm back,” he said after a moment.

“Good. How is he?”

“Oh, you know…shaken, but coming to terms with it.” He took off his shoes to rest his aching feet.

“I can't stop thinking about it. Is he alone?”

“No, Fabio turned up to stay with him overnight, I think.”

“Can I stay here?” asked Franco. He looked so small and young, with big frightened eyes. “I don't want to be alone either.”

Vale paused, then smiled. “Come on then.” He knew he’d have nightmares and Franco was the perfect person to make him feel safe.

So they too walked through the lounge to the bed, to cuddle up. Relaxing, they were finally able to feel peaceful on this terrible day.

~~~~~~~

The End. But luckily it wasn’t the end for any of them.


End file.
